Never judge a book by its cover. At a new pop-up in Wynwood, don’t judge a bag of Lay’s potato chips by its packaging —...
Never judge a book by its cover. At a new pop-up in Wynwood, don’t judge a bag of Lay’s potato chips by its packaging — because it might actually be socks! Odd socks. In fact, every single thing you open in OddMart, whether it’s a box of twinkies or a can of Corona, will be, you guessed it, socks. Deco investigates.
Today, my Deco investigation begins with a company called Odd Sox.
Ahmad Akar: “Odd Sox is the coolest, funnest, most comfortable sock brand in the world.”
But it was at their Wynwood pop-up where the case took an unexpected turn.
At first glance, OddMart looks like your average neighborhood store. But after spending several minutes inside, I’ve uncovered something deeply disturbing: Almost nothing in that place is what it claims to be.
Ahmad Akar: “OddMart is a grocery store but instead of food, it’s all socks and accessories.”
At this point, I began to suspect a massive false advertising scheme.
Ahmad Akar: “We have collaborations with over 50 brands. So when you walk in, you’re gonna see a bunch of cereal, chip bags, sodas, but instead of the actual product, it’s just socks.”
Alex: “I’m here with Rachel who is a ‘customer’ and holding a Kool-Aid package of some sort.”
Rachel: “I love Kool-Aid. I think this is really cool.”
Ahmad Akar: “People pick it up really quickly when you see our branding. Others, I mean.”
Alex: “What were you expecting in that package?”
Rachel: “What do you mean?”
Ahmad Akar: “We had this guy come in wandering the whole store for like 30 minutes.”
I thought I’d start my morning with a balanced breakfast. Instead I ate socks.
Ahmad Akar: “He just literally had no clue what’s going on.”
Alex: “What do you think it is? Kool-Aid?”
Rachel: “It’s socks.”
Ahmad Akar: “I mean, he’s been asking questions for a long time now. First he tried to grab a beer and actually drink the beer.”
Socks.
Ahmad Akar: “Then he went over to the chip aisle.”
These aren’t potato chips. They’re socks.
Ahmad Akar: “And just a reminder, the socks and underwear are not edible. Then he went over to the toilet that we have, shout out to Dude Wipes, then he tried to actually use the Dude Wipes. He physically tried to use the toilet that we have here, which is just a prop.”
Rachel: “No! No!”
Alex: “Look away!”
My finding’s inconclusive. But one thing’s for sure, the photo ops here are pretty cheesy.
Ahmad Akar: “We have the world’s largest Cheez-It box. We have a giant cereal bowl that you can jump into, take photos, and for the World Cup, shout out to Sour Patch Kids, we have a mini soccer field where you can attempt to win some free socks. You get a two-pack of socks for only $25, hats are $25.”
OddMart is open daily from noon to 8 p.m. through July 19 and located behind a discreet door at 285 NW 27 St.
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